Folding bedstead



A. H, MORB. FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

(No Model.)

Pafensed Ag.'1'1, 1896t 3 sne'ts-sneet 2.

(No Model.)

A. H. MOORE. FOLDING BEDSTBAD.-

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

- A LLMOORE.

- FOLDING BEDSTBAD.

No. 565,496. y Patented Aug. 11, 1896.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT ALBERT H. MOORE, OF BOSTON,.MASSACHUSETTS FOLDINGBEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 565,496, dated August11, 1896. Application filed March 30, 1896. Serial No. 585,321. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. MOORE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Bedsteads, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of folding bedsteads in which thedevice, when in a folded position, resembles and has certain of thecharacteristics of a desk; and the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts fully described below andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereby a desk-bedstead isrendered practical and conveniently operative, comfortable when used asa bed, and greatly resembling a desk when folded.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters and numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts, YFigure 1 is a perspective viewofmy improved folding bedstead folded into position to resemble a desk.Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of the same spread out for useas a.bed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken a little oneside of the center of the device when in the position indicated inFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail in plan showing a portion of the springbed-bottom and its connection with the supporting-frame.

1 represents the front wall ot' the device when folded; 2, the end wallsrigid with said front wall.

3 is a lid or swinging shelf hinged at 4 to the bracket 12, belowdescribed, and adapted to be swung down from the position indicated inFig. 3 to that indicated in Fig. 1, and to be sustained in such latterposition by the chains 5, whose upper ends are secured to said brackets12, and in the former by a suitable lock 3f.

6 7 8 represent the upper front portion of the desk-bedstead, hinged at9 to the upper edge of the portion l. This upper portion is made insubstantially the shape of the three parts 6, 7, and S, said portion 6providing a horizontal surface from which the vertical walls 10 extendhorizontally from the central parallel partitionsY 11 to the brackets12, which are rigid with the portions 6, 7, and 8. This leaves spacesfor the reception of small articles behind the walls 10 and between themand the portions 7 and 8, while between the partitions 11 there issufiicient space for an inkstand 13. The main front wall 1 and theportion 8 are preferably formed into imitations of drawers, and theupper portion of the front of the part 8 is provided with an overhang8a, under and to which the free edge of the lid is secured when raised.Hinged at 14 to the upper edge of the portion 8 is the horizontal top15, provided with the rear and end walls 16 17.

The rear edgeof the top l5 has hinged to it on its under side the rearedges of the upper ends of two similar and parallel rails'lS, which,when swung down, constitute side rails for the bed. The front edges ofthe upper ends of these rails 18 are hinged at 1Sn to the rear upperedges of the end walls 2. Rigidly secured to the free or lower ends ofthe side rails 18 is the foot-board 19, to which, or to the side rails,as desired, are rigidly secured the blocks 20, provided with pins 21,which form pivots for the legs 22. /Vhen the device is in the position.indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, these legs are held up against the stops 23bymeans of pins 24, engaged by latches 25, or other suitable mechanism.

26 represents the front ornamental end of the slide 27, one beingsituated at each end of the device and' the two slides being connectedby the cross-piece 2S, extending along the front of the lower portion ofthe wall 1. Each of these slides is pivoted at 29 to a shorter slide 30,which moves horizontally in the groove or way 3l, whose front end is atthe point indicated by the broken line 32 in Fig. 2.

When the device is to be lowered from its position as a desk (indicatedin Figs. 1 and 3) into its position as a bed, (indicated in Fig. 2,) theiirst operation is to draw out the slides 27 into the position indicatedbybroken lines in Fig. 3, said slides being prevented from being drawntoo far by the ends 32 of the grooves or ways 31 in any ordinary manner.The entire device is then swung bodily from the vertical positionindicated in Fig. 3 to a horizontal position, the lower end of the front1 bearing on the pivots 29 between the slides, which assume the positionindicated in 2, so that the portions 26 rest on the floor and supportthe rear portion of the bed.

IOC

Then the lower ends of the rails-18 (which are' connected by suitablecross-bars 33) are swung over into the horizontal position indicated inFig. 2, the legs 22 being at the same time released from the latches 25and dropped. Inasmuch as these rails are hinged not only to the endwalls 2, but also to the top 15, this operation of swinging them overfrom their position next the rear edges of the end walls to the positionindicated in Fig. 2 swings the top into the vertical position indicatedin said figure, so that the ends 17 serve as feet, and as the front edgeof said top is hinged to the portion 8 the portion 6 7 8 falls into theposition indicated in said figure and serves as a brace for the top 15.The desk-lid K is held from dropping independentl7 by being dicated inFig. 2.

locked to the portion 8, as above described. Thus the bed is supportedcentrally at the foot and at the head, the latter portion, however,bearing but lightly upon the portions 27 26, as below explained.

The bedbottorn 34 is supported at one end by the cross-piece 35 next thefoot-board 19, and at the other end by the crossbar 36, hinged at 37 tothe cross-bar 38, which serves as a link and is hinged at its oppositeedge at 39 to the head-board 40, which slides horizontally in thegrooves or ways 41 on the inner surfaces of the end walls 2 above thebottoni 42. This cross-bar 36 is connected by the chains 43 with thebottom 42 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and by a brace-bar 44 at each end withblocks 45, rigidly securedV to the end walls 2.

IVhen the device is folded, the bed-bottom 34 is prevented from droppingto the bottom in a heap by loops 46, which catch upon rings or hooks 47,secured to the rails 17. Vhen the folding bed is swung down in themanner above described into the position indicated in Fig. 2, thebed-bottom 34 is stretched by the bracebars 44, which act on thecrossbar 3G, which, by means of the intermediate bar 37, pushes thesliding head-board 40 along the ways or grooves 41 into the position in-The chains 43 hold the bed at that point down to the desired height. Asthe front ends of these brace-rods are supported at points well towardthe longitudinal center of the bedstead there is but little Weight onthe slides 27, the greatest Weight being sustained by the portions 15,which serve as legs when the bedstead is down.

The position of the inattresswhen the device is in the two positionsindicated is shown by broken lines S in Figs. 2 and The wire links inthe bed-bottom 34 (see Fig. 4) are caught upon Vand radiate from rings48 in place of plates, as is usually the case, as plates are apt tobecome injured and wrinkled or cockled by reason of the operation of thefolding bed. The springs 49 connect the main portion of the bed-bottomwith a rod 50, which extends through tubular folds 51, formed in theedges of a plate 52, which is slotted at 53 to receive the hooked endsof the springs 49. One of these plates may be secured to the cross-bar35 and another to the cross-bar 3G.

In order to provide ample room for a inattress of any thickness, andalso for the bed- -clothing when the device is folded up, the

cross-piece 35 is provided with a pin at each end which extends into thenearly vertical but slightlycurved slot 54, formed in the block 2O atthat end. Then the bed is in the position indicated in Fig. 2, it isheld so taut that the pins extending from the cross-piece 35 remain inthe upper ends of the slots 54; but when the bed is folded into theposition indicated in Fig. 3 the mattress pushes the crosspiece 35rearward as far as the slots 54 will allow.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding bedstead, the main front wall 1; the upper front wallconsisting of the parts G, 7, and 8, the part 6 being hinged to theupper edge of the main front wall; the top 15 hinged near its front edgeto the upper edge of the portion 8 of the upper front wall; the endwalls 2, rigid with the main front wall; and the side rails 18 hinged atthe rear edges of their upper ends to the rear edge of the top 15 and atthe front edges of their upper ends to the upper rear edges of the endwalls 2,whereby swinging downward the main front and end walls andswinging over the side rails, doubles the said top 15 and upper walldownward so as to form a central support for the bedstead, substantiallyas described.

2. In a folding bedstead, the combination of the main front wall 1; theupper front wall consisting of the parts 6, 7 and 8, said part 6 beinghinged to the upper edge of the main front Wall; the top 15 hinged nearits front edge to the upper edge of the portion 8; the side rails 18hinged to the rear edge of said top 15 the overhang 8nextendinghorizontally along the front of the upper portion of the part 8and the lid 3, hinged to the upper edge of the main front wall 1 andadapted to be secured at its opposite edge under said overhang,substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding bedstead of the character described, the combinationwith the front wall 1 and end walls 2, the latter provided with the waysor grooves 31; of the hinged slides consisting of the rear portions 30and front portions 27 hinged to said rear portions, and the ornamentalportions 26 secured sub- IOO IIO

stantially at right angles to the front ends of rods 44 extendingdiagonally, from the crossbar 36 to portions-rigid with the front and 15end Walls and pivoted to said portions; a chain or eo'rd 43 extendingfrom said Cross-bar 36 to the bottom 42 and the side rails 18 hinged tothe upper ends of the end Walls and snpporting a bar Which sustains theopposite end 2o of the bed-bottom, substantially as set forth.

ALBERT H. MOORE. Vitnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY.

